What is the best way to experience the Amalfi Coast?

The Amalfi Coast is one of the most popular tourist destination in the world.
For centuries, the amazing beauty of the Amalfi Coast has inspired musicians, poets, artists and bewitched millions of world travelers.
Fishing villages, lemon groves, mesmerizing views from dawn to dusk, seem to be put together by an artist to paint a masterpiece.

If you’re planning a trip to the Amalfi Coast you are probably collecting information about the Amalfi Coast, where to stay on the Amalfi Coast and how to travel to the Amalfi Coast.

The internet is full of websites and blogs where you can read the history, all the main tourist information about the region and find out all the stuff you need to plan your trip.

Most of this information is very similar, though.

But what is beyond that? What if you wanted to experience the Amalfi Coast in a different, more authentic way?

Off of the beaten path you would find the real essence of the region: habits, tradition, local food…

The hidden gems

Besides the touristy Positano and Amalfi (which, yes, is one of the towns on the coast), there’s much more to visit and to experience.

Ravello, for example, located a little bit up on the Lattari Mountains, will give you a different feeling. A peaceful village where you can appreciate gorgeous views of the coastline and its tranquil atmosphere.

Cetara is another gem. An old, quaint fishing village where the “colatura di alici” (anchovy sauce) is made. You should not leave the Amalfi Coast without tasting this traditional and local dish: spaghetti alla colatura di alici.

Albori is another picturesque village, almost unknown, not far from Vietri Sul Mare and Raito.

The local food

To make your experience complete, you have to taste the typical flavors of the region.

Besides the fish based dishes, where local catch of the day is the main ingredient, there’s a lot more to enjoy. The soil on the Lattari Mountains is particularly fertile due to a layer of volcanic ash from Mt. Vesuvius that covered the peninsula during the eruptions.

For this reason vegetables and fruit grown here have a very special taste. Lemons (Sfusato Amalfitano, and Femminiello Sorrentino), Grapes, Corbarino Tomatoes and Olives grown on the mountains are different from any other you’ve ever tasted.

In a very small area, in Furore, you will find an excellent wine.

Have you ever heard of Fior di Latte di Agerola? And what about Provolone del Monaco? One is a delicious diary product, like mozzarella, mainly produced in Agerola, the highest town of the Lattari Mountains, the other is a provolone cheese, aged at least 6 months… both delicious.

The ending part of the Peninsula, towards Sorrento, is the area where the Extra Virgin Olive Oil of Sorrento is produced.

A visit to the coast, without tasting the local food, is definitely an incomplete one. I always try to show a different Amalfi Coast, more tasty, more authentic and, above all, less touristy.

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